GM recalls 2.7M more cars for faulty brake lights

DETROIT (KABC) -- General Motors recalled an additional 2.7 million vehicles Thursday as the company examines safety issues in cars built over the past decade.

The total vehicles recalled this year in the U.S. for the nation's largest automaker is more than 11 million cars and trucks. Its annual record was 11.8 million vehicles in 2004.

The latest recall comes after GM was placed under fire for a defective ignition switch that the company had known about a decade before issuing the recall. The company linked that issue to 13 deaths and is being investigated by the Justice Department.

GM said the new recalls will fix problems with brake lights, headlamps, power brakes and windshield wipers. The Detroit automaker will take a $200 million charge this quarter, on top of a $1.3 billion charge in the first quarter, mostly to cover the repairs.

The company is recalling:

• About 2.4 million Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura midsize cars from the 2004 through 2012 model years because the brake light wires can corrode, causing the lights to fail.
• More than 140,000 Malibus from 2014, where a software problem in the brake control computer can disable the power brakes. That means drivers would have to push the brakes harder to stop, and stopping distances would increase.
• Nearly 112,000 Chevy Corvettes from 2005 through 2007 because they can lose low-beam headlights. GM says when the engine is warm, an electrical housing can expand and bend a wire, causing it to fracture. GM will also repair Corvettes from 2008 through 2013 if owners have the problem.
• 19,000 Cadillac CTS sports sedans because the windshield wipers can fail after the cars are jump-started and the wipers are stuck by ice and snow.
• 477 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups and Chevy Tahoe SUVs. A suspension part can detach from the steering and cause loss of steering. GM has offered to tow the trucks to dealers.

Thursday's recalls also cover about 290,000 vehicles in Canada, Mexico and other countries, bringing the global number of recalled vehicles to more than 2.9 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.